The Promise
by TheseStarsBurnCold
Summary: How is one expected to fight against something when they don't even know they should be fighting at all? That is the dilemma that the Season Spirits must face when the thing they're up against has affected every Spirit and everyone connected to them, both past and present. (RotG, Httyd, Tangled, Brave, and maybe more later on)(Disclaimer: I don't own anything)
1. Chapter 1

**PART I - I**

 _JACK_

 _Monday, First day of School_

"JACKSON!" Jackson Overland Frost had done it again. He successfully pranked the English and Creative Writing teacher once again to start off a new year at school. He'd been here for three years now and had managed to set a school wide record for most detentions, tardiness, and number of pranks pulled. Never harmful, but enough to aggravate and get him into trouble. Enough to cause his peers and fellow schoolmates to laugh about it for weeks after, by which time he would've already pulled something else. The only reason he wasn't suspended or permanently expelled was because his legal guardian was a teacher at this school and couldn't afford to let him run around in a different school where he couldn't keep an eye on his charge.

That was okay with Jack though, seeing as he was doing relatively okay in all his classes, getting a B average with the occasional C or A in the mix. The only class he didn't look forward to this year was History, because he had no idea who the teacher would be. Word around school said that it was the same teacher who'd be teaching Astronomy this year, the new class among a few others that had Jack twitching in his seat.

Not that he could sit still for very long. It was "confirmed" years ago that he'd been diagnosed with ADHD. He wasn't sure if that was true or not. He'd also been told that he had a small case of some dependency thing, which would explain his always visiting his guardian's class every so often throughout the day, and had at least one class plus lunch everyday with at least one of his friends. Not that he minded, it just put a label to the fact that he didn't want to be left alone. Which he didn't. He'd been alone for….for a long time. It was hard to think about, so he usually didn't, and he was fine with that to.

"Hahaha! Pink looks good on you Pitch! Maybe you should wear it more often!" He called out from where he stood at the back of his English class, ready to bolt out of there if things got ugly. His classmates were giggling or laughing out right, seeing a normally terrifying teacher be made fun of. Pink paint was dripping from the "Nightmare King"'s hair and down onto his black coat.

"Detention, Mr. Frost! And don't you dare think of skipping out on it!" Jack shrugged, using the shepherd's crook he always carried with him as an anchor to lift him up and over a row of seats, sailing over at least three to land in his seat in the middle of the classroom. How he managed to defy gravity like that and how the wooden staff was able to handle such a weight being put on it, no one knew. By now though, they learned not to question it. Only the first years ever asked and they never given a straight answer. There was always a tiptoe around the topic or a clever diversion or not saying anything and just ignoring the question altogether.

"Wouldn't dream of it Mr. Peanut Butter...do you even like peanut butter? Hey, my name's a J and I know i'm your favorite student, can I be Jelly? I like Jelly." The laughter continued, and Jack could only hold his composure because he's done this for years, multiple times times a year.

"Jack?"

"Yes Mister PB n J?" More giggles.

"What would North have to say about this?" There was a pause where Jack pulled off a look of thinking very hard and wondering best how to answer that question.

"Well sir, he'd ask who I pranked and I'd say Mr. Pitch Black and he'd ask if he was harmed and I'd ask "Does pride count?" and he'd laugh and ask why I pranked you and I'd say it was because I thought you were too stiff and needed to laugh a little, lighten up and not be so mean, like I try every year and he'd just smile and say that maybe I should try again later or next year and to go to my detention before I'm late."

There were a few "aws" and "that's so sweets". Pitch seemed virtually unaffected by the little speech and just scowled.

"Yes yes. Frost we all know you're a pathological liar and pull your silly little pranks for attention…"

"But I-"

"Now if you'd be so kind as to not interrupt my class any further, we can actually get something done today…"

Jack fell silent, looking down. He was telling the truth this time, really. Why did no one believe him when he told the truth? This year he didn't have all of his classes with at least one friend, this class being one of them. He wished Rapunzel was here, she could make the stupid lump in his throat go away, or Merida, who would be back talking Pitch by now and giving him a verbal smackdown, or Hiccup, who'd calmly reassure him that he was not a pathological liar and that even if he did pranks to get attention, his friends knew the reason behind wanting that attention and they'd never think any less of him for it.

He really did have the most amazing friends a guy could ask for. They're like siblings he...didn't think he had. If he did, well, he never knew them or just didn't remember them so it wasn't too big of a loss.

At the end of class, Jack rushed up to the dorm room he shared with Hiccup, closing the door harshly behind him. He didn't know why Pitch's comment effected him so much. He thought he was over it. He couldn't go back to North's class because he'd be teaching now and Jack was supposed to be down in the Great Hall for lunch before he had his last class for the day. Thankfully he didn't have Pitch on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He didn't know if he could handle that two days in a row.

A knock on the door signaled that one of his friends was at the door. One of the girls most likely. Hiccup would still be in class for another hour.

"Jack. Ya in there?" Merida called from the hallway. "I heard ya slam the door. Is everything alright?" Jack shook his head fiercely, not that the other could see. "Jack will you please talk to me? Tell me what's wrong. If somebody's bullied you, you know I'll be more than happy to show them why they shouldn't."

Merida was silent for a moment before Jack leaned away from the door, turned around and opened it, eyes still staring at the ground. He was immediately engulfed in a bear hug that had frizzy, curly red hair. Jack, after a moment hugged back, though still even after three years wasn't used to it. He may never be used to being hugged by his friends. North was different, he was more like family even if he'd ignored him to, focused on his work and all. Even if he thought of his friends as family to, it felt different.

"Who was it?" She asked again. Even though it was quieter than the first few times, it held a faint growling tone that gave away her emotions. She was angry. Angry at whoever dared make her "little brother" so melancholy. Jack didn't answer, instead opting to hug her more, his hands closed into fists. "Was it a teacher?" He nodded. "Pitch again?" Another nod.

Silence. Jack knew what that meant. If she didn't calm down soon the fireplace in the common room between their dorm rooms would burst and then they'd have to explain how it could've possibly reached the ceiling to the principal. Again.

"Mer. Mer, calm down okay. I'm okay. I'm fine." He mumbled, not up for speaking normally yet and not wanting to let go just yet.

"No you're not Jack and you know it. What did that **rat** say to you?"

"'M a pa-to-lo-ic-al liar and do pr-nks for at-en-ton." The door, which had been left wide open due to Merida's entrance, closed with a bang that made both teens jump. Merida, pulling away and turning to see who had entered the room, found Rapunzel standing in front of a now closed door. Her braided golden hair skimming the floor, yet it did nothing to lighten the uncharacteristically dark expression on her face right now.

The expression morphed into a calm and relaxed one as she wiped out her iPhone and began sending a text message to Hiccup.

"Hic is gonna know about this to." Rapunzel nodded her head, biting her lip as she figured out exactly how she would word the message to their pseudo-brother. She gave no response otherwise, yet offered Jack a smile after the text was sent, and took the few steps to hug him herself.

"Just remember that he lied when he said that, Jack." Jack returned the hug, grateful, before moving to the door.

"I know, Punzie. I think...it'd be better if we moved to the common room and sit down there. We've got time before we have to go back to classes, and I'm not all that hungry." Merida rolled her eyes, turning to open the door for them all and took the first few steps out to let them follow.

"You're never hungry, Jack. Seriously, you need to eat more, you're just skin and bones." Rapunzel laughed, her whole face lighting up for the first time since she came into the room.

"Yeah, he eats like a wolf pack in winter though. You'd think we hardly feed 'im!"

"Hey!" The girls just laughed as Jack plopped himself down on a couch in the common room, staring blankly at the television screen mounted to the wall. Behind him was the kitchen, and on the other side, opposite of his and Hiccup's dorm room, was Rapunzel and Merida's dorm room. The whole building was set up like this, with little apartments, with one room for guys and one for girls so long as they were responsible and mature about it. Which meant normally the guys and girls weren't paired like this. As far as Jack knew, his group was one of few to have this pairing up, and the only one to do so since second year.

A short ringtone later and Rapunzel was texting Hiccup back, reading aloud what he had responded with.

"Hic will be here soon. He's going to ask Mr. Belch if he can be excused early. He'll have to bring his work here to work on it, but he won't mind. He's bringing up lunches for all of us either way, asking what we want. Jack, you want the usual?"

"Sure...Still not hungry though."

"We'll see about that. Okay so swordfish with small caesar salad and ice water." Rapunzel typed away at her phone, adding in her own food choice. "Mer?"

"Bread with butter and lamb if you please. Milk to."

"Kay...Hiccup got permission. He should be here in roughly ten to twenty minutes depending on student traffic bustling about." Merida frowned, humming.

"It should be winding down now that most of the classes are over for today. Just one more for most people but that's after lunch. Jack, are you better now?" Jack blinked, looking up at Merida who sat herself on an armchair of the couch. Rapunzel vaulted over the back of the couch to land on the other end, lying down with her head against the armrest, feet nearly reaching Jack. Yes, she was the shortest of the group, but it didn't bother her. Merida had always said the true length of her hair more than made up for being short.

"Yes Mer." He replied shortly, wanting the peaceful silence of knowing that his sisters were with him now, though not being complete until his brother got here, preferably with food. Food would fill in the silence, give it meaning. Otherwise he'd rather have some sort of noise or someone talking. Merida and Rapunzel knew this. It was a quirk of his. A trait he had even when they'd all been in first year, though back then he only felt comfortable with the silence of North being around, even though he wasn't a lot then. That had been a hard year to go through, Jack thought with a mental shiver.

"You know he's not until Hiccup gets here. Not even the food he's bringing would be touched if we weren't all there with him you know that Merida." Rapunzel commented lightly, playing angry birds on her phone.

The door to their apartment dorm swung open minutes later and a pile of food came walking in courtesy of Hiccup who was holding it all up. Merida hopped off the armrest and helped the older teen with carrying the food to the coffee table. When everything was opened and they were all situated on the couch eating their food, Hiccup began to speak.

"I'm guessing by the swordfish that you were upset about something this morning?" He asked Jack, putting an arm around the youngest's shoulders. Jack hummed an affirmative, leaning back into the furniture with a paper plate full of pieces of cooked swordfish. Merida, who was at the end of the couch she'd claimed just minutes before, let out a frustrated sigh, that made all eyes turn to her.

"It was Pitch, Hiccup. You know, the "evil" teacher that you have two classes with for three days a week? The guy you have in your first class? That guy…" Rapunzel nodded her head, humming multiple agreements.

"Bullied our younger brother Hic. Called him a…"

"Pathological liar and that I pulled my pranks just to get attention." Jack ended the sentence for her, taking another bite out of his food. "Doesn't even know why I even want the attention. Idiot."

"Nah," Hiccup shook his head slightly. "Just ignorant. But...that doesn't excuse his behavior toward you. I will talk to him in my creative writing class after we're done with lunch, but I can't promise he'll stop just because of that. We've had him for three years now, if he hasn't learned then I don't know how long it'll take for him to understand why you do what you do, Jack."

"Aren't you trying to switch out of that class?" Rapunzel asked with one eyebrow raised, taking a bite out of the salad she ordered. "You're not that good with...writing creatively. You're more of an artist, like the rest of us. Except maybe Merida but we won't ever know that because she's never tried or taken either Art or Creative Writing before. Why do you want to know Spanish anyway? The teacher is a spazz! Is there some boy we don't know about?" Rapunzel's eyes narrowed at the other girl. Merida's own widened as she shook her head.

"No, Punzie, no boy. God, don't you remember all those guys who were asking me out last year? 'Sides, you're the one to talk about being a spazz. You're practically bipolar!" The redhead shot back.

"You mean the ones your mom always tried to set you up with? Yeah didn't walk away without a black eye at least, and that still doesn't explain why you're taking Spanish."

"Mer, Punzie. We can talk about that later. Yes I'm trying to switch out of that class and get into Art, or at least something I don't hate. Like Physical Education. Not that I hate the teacher or anything, I just don't think I'd be any better at that than I would in Creative Writing."

"Okay, good luck with your dad on the switch. Now what is this about you and Spanish class?

"I tried to get into Zoology but failed."

"Oh."

Jack curled up in his spot on the couch after they were done eating and had thrown away the leftover plates and containers. Rapunzel, Merida and Hiccup shared a look, before giving a collective shrug and found their own places on the couch to sleep. Merida chose the spot she was sitting at while eating, while Rapunzel brought out a few blankets and pillows from her and Merida's room, choosing to sleep on the rest of the couch available. Hiccup ended up on the floor immediately in front of the couch. Not that he minded.

They all didn't care that day whether they attended their final class. Even Hiccup, who was more likely to wake himself up before they had to go with his freakishly good timing and force the others to do the same so they could go to class. Forget sleeping! He would say often last year. But this time, they were content in knowing the others were there and all thought of Pitch and payback had left their minds.

Hiccup was in fact up twenty minutes before they had to all go to class. Getting up from the floor -his choice- he stretched and trudged into his and Jack's room to get himself somewhat presentable before he rushed over to the main building, go up three flights of stairs and arrive in Pitch's classroom for Creative Writing. He knew he'd be late, maybe, but he thought Pitch deserved him coming into class late. If it got him detention to, then he'd be there to help Jack and they might actually be able to make it fun instead of being scarred for life. Because while Pitch's detentions were rumored to scar you for life, Jack had been in enough of them to not be affected anymore, and they weren't as scary as they seemed. Jack would often just be lonely, or that's what he always told them. Hiccup wasn't quite sure if he believed it, but he went along with it because he trusted his younger brother.

Walking back out, he nudged his three friends and proclaimed siblings to wake them up, shaking them if needed. He didn't want to wake them up -they looked so peaceful- but he wasn't going to have them miss class. Groans and mumbled protests met his effort, to which he took that as a good sign of them getting up.

"Come on. We still got one more class guys. Then we can all crash in here afterward." More protesting but he could see them actually moving now to get up and get themselves presentable again. Merida didn't need to do much anyway since her hair is always a mess, and Rapunzel just needed to make sure her braid was still intact. Jack didn't need to do anything either, though they'd all do well to brush their teeth, Hiccup thought with a mental smile.

"But I don't wanna go to math. Math hurts." Jack whined.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and Merida was the one to respond, still half asleep.

"Ya with me, Snowflake. You'll be okay."

Watching his brother and sisters stumble around after their nap, Hiccup wondered if he was the only one who could wake up as fast as he does. Even Rapunzel and Merida who were morning people, didn't wake up as fast as he did. Merida needed at least an hour of being conscious before being fully awake, and Rapunzel was more awake if she woke up with the sun, which was the only time she'd ever wake up willingly.

By the time five minutes had passed, they were all ready and only had ten minutes to go down one flight of stairs, get into the main building, and go up however many flights of stairs to get to their classes. All lined up in the hallway, the four were grinning even though some of them -Jack- were still tired and probably wouldn't do too much at the beginning of class.

"Alright. We agreed on the bet? Last one there or late as to do laundry for the rest of the week. First one gets the other two to do their homework for the rest of the week." Hiccup saw all three nod their head once. "Okay, by any means necessary….GO!" And the four were racing down the hallways and down the stairs. Jack took the banister, sliding down with staff in hand and unknowingly covering it in a thin layer of frost. Rapunzel and Merida were trying to outdo the other, while Hiccup took the straightforward approach, trying to run as little as possible and using shortcuts to his advantage. All three were laughing as they raced through the front doors of the main building, having more fun than they had in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

**PART I - II**

Flashback-

Hiccup had been feeling weird lately. Whenever he so much as thought about Astrid, his stomach would turn in a way that told him "going to be sick" rather than the butterflies of growing love he'd had up until...maybe two weeks ago? It had gotten to the point where, just yesterday, he'd had to actually pause the dragon academy so that he wouldn't be sick in front of everyone. Snotlout pointed it out to Astrid for one reason or another but he hadn't been listening at the time. All he could figure out was that this sick feeling happened whenever he thought of Astrid, especially so when his thoughts turned all "lovey-dovey". If only he could figure out why this was happening and how to stop it.

-Flashback

 _HICCUP_

 _Monday, Later that same day_

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III was normally calm, reserved, he'd even been called a pacifist once or twice. While he often took up the role as peacekeeper and mediator within his makeshift family, and tried to avoid conflict or confrontation everywhere else, he wasn't opposed to it. He would fight if he needed to, of course he would, but that didn't mean it was always with his fists. Or an axe.

He'd talked to Pitch, but that had gone south as soon as the first words were spoken. Pitch had known why he'd stayed late and had said the "Frost kid" deserved it. Thought of the kid as a pathological liar -and wasn't just saying that to embarrass him in front of the class that morning-, a troublemaker and an attention seeking brat. Hiccup growled to himself. The man infuriated him, truly infuriated him and it wasn't like he could get at him or let him anger blow. Pitch was a teacher, not a student, and God only knew what kind of rep he had among the other staff at this school.

The least he could do now was to ask to be switched out of his Creative Writing class, and possibly have him or one of his friends be switched to Jack's English class. He knew Merida and Rapunzel wouldn't mind in the least. In fact he was certain they'd be happy about it and Merida would take the chance to shoot him with an arrow or something. Conveniently forgetting the ban on her weapons, or any weapons of any kind, being brought into the main building. All were kept in the "Shed" which house a large variety of such deadly devices including his father's axe and Gobber's hammer. It was where North kept his swords and Mr. Bunny, his boomerangs.

But then, his father might not listen to him. Again. It wasn't such a surprising thought. His father had tended to ignore him in favor of running this school. He didn't really visit when Hiccup had gone to the boarding school five hours down the unpaved road which took in kindergarten kids through their seventh grade. After that they went here for eighth grade through college. But that didn't mean he didn't have supervision. No, he had the principal at the other school and Gobber when he occasionally visited on the weekends. His dad only ever showed up when he got into trouble. With the other kids lying about him, making him fall into and break things, his father did on a regular basis. Just not with pleasantries in mind.

The least that the impending conversation would end up being would be an argument that left both him and his father emotionally drained. Hiccup wasn't looking forward to it but he had to get out of Pitch's class. He had to give Jack some moral support in his own class with Pitch or else he thought he might explode. Might. If not then he, well, he didn't know what he could do.

He passed the secretary who simply glanced up at him, nodded, and waved a hand over to his father's office. The man apparently wasn't busy enough to warrant his needing to wait. Opening one of the large wooden double doors, the teen stepped inside. He immediately noticed the large rectangular room was as dark as it always had been. Candles were the main source of light in the room with the blinds over the windows being closed so as to let in as little light as possible. Besides this, the room was lit well enough for one to see where they were going, and be able to read should they need to. Hiccup didn't know why his father kept his office like this, just that the quiet dimness of the firelight seemed to relax Stoick into a reflective calm.

Book shelves lined the walls, overflowing with the books they held. The large mahogany desk in the center of the room was equally overflowing with papers, reports and letters and such, piles of it standing tall and intimidating.

"Hiccup? What are you doing here son?"

"I was going to ask you if I could be switched out of one of my classes and if one of my friends could get their schedule rearranged." The large man with a massive red beard looked up from the stack of papers he was working through to see his son standing directly in front of his desk with as much of a no nonsense look as he was able to pull off.

Stoick hummed thoughtfully. "Why would you need your schedules changed, son?"

"Merida didn't want Spanish, I'd be no good in Creative Writing, and Jack is going to need one of us in his English class."

"This is about Mr. Pitch Black, isn't it? Besides, you know as well as everyone else that schedule changes don't start until next Monday."

"This isn't just about Pitch, dad. You know how sensitive Jack is. You know how bad I am at writing. Can't you do something until next week?"

"You know I can't do anything about Pitch unless there's proof-"

"You can take Jack out of his class to start!"

"-And schedules cannot be changed yet. Hiccup. I can't make exceptions for you. It would be seen as favoritism." Hiccup's hands clenched into fists.

"You never did anything for me because it would be "seen as favoritism"." Crap, he couldn't stop himself, "You didn't stop Snotlout and his group from bullying me. You didn't visit me before I got to this school unless I got into trouble. What happened to being a father-?"

"You will not talk back to me like-" But Hiccup was talking back, speaking up, and now he couldn't stop this runaway train.

"-before being a principal? GOBBER was more of a dad than you and he was and is only my science teacher!" Things were getting out of hand. Both of them knew it quite well, but neither had the humility to stop it first. Yet.

"Hiccup!"

"Mother would be very disappointed with y-"

"Don't you DARE bring your mother into this!" Well dang. He'd officially crossed the line. Great job, Useless, you messed up again.

Outside the Principal's office, the argument between father and son had escalated so much to where it could be heard all throughout the floor it was on. Jack had been looking for Hiccup for a while now. Classes had been over for nearly thirty minutes and he still hasn't shown up in their dorm, and even their sisters were worrying. They knew he was going to try to talk to Pitch after class, but they didn't think it'd take this long.

The only explanation left was that Hiccup had gone to talk to his father. Jack had never heard them fight. Merida had heard some of one of their fights but hadn't said much on it. Rapunzel hadn't needed to even set foot in the Office building. So Jack, curiosity overwhelming, decided to be the one to look for Hiccup. This decision, Jack was beginning to regret.

Already on the second floor, with the Principal's office at the end of the hall, he could hear the yelling, shouting. The anger, frustration, and hurt filled voices that it made his whole self shake. His grip on his staff tightening as he continued on. Bitter winds howled outside, the sound cutting through the thick walls and glass of the windows. Rain began to fall from darkening storm clouds and Jack would bet wearing shoes for an entire week that lightning would later be present. He wasn't all that surprised. This is what came of Hiccup's fury. Storms of rain, wind and lightning.

Jack thought Hiccup had the most volatile anger, for it never came up without his anger reaching a point that it was boiling over. Where Jack was chilling blizzards; Merida was raging wildfires; Rapunzel was, well, no one really knew yet as Rapunzel never truly got angry enough for it; Hiccup was the hurricane that would pass and leave destruction in its wake.

"STOP!" Jack froze where he stood, rooted to the spot with dread filling his gut. "Just..stop! Everytime we try to talk it just ends up with us arguing…" Maybe now was a good time to call in reinforcements.

"Thank you, for summing that up."

"I'm serious HICCUP! Can you not see I have bigger problems than this? Summer is ending, it's getting colder with every week that passes and the Village isn't able to make up for the shortage of food it brought in last year because of the ending drought!" Hiccup took a step back, tears in his eyes. He understood the situation that his dad was in right now, but that didn't mean he could forget everything else.

"I've done everything. Everything for you to acknowledge me, for you to see me as something other than what's left of my mom. I guess it's impossible now. You're so hung up in the **past** , on **her** , in your **work** , that you'll only ever notice me if I get into trouble. Or danger." With every sentence that flew out of his mouth, he was inching toward the door. "Thanks. Dad. Thanks a lot." Stoick didn't even have the time to get in another word before his son was out of the room, door slamming heavily behind him as he raced through the hall in tears. Tears which he never let fall since he was eight, when his mom had left for another trip to the outside world and never came back.

He'd only just reached the front door to the building when Merida, Rapunzel, and Jack rushed in just as fast. They were soaked, and the storm was in full swing outside. There was no way he could stop it now. They'd been worried. Apparently he'd been gone longer than he originally thought, and with Jack's mood earlier, well, they didn't need the rain to be freezing, or for it to rain hail instead of water. So after getting back to the dorm and after being thoroughly dried off, the four collapsed on the couch.

"It was bad this time...worse than the others." Merida mumbled wearily. Hiccup wasn't much better. Jack was distracting himself with music, the sounds blaring in his ears. Rapunzel was on her phone again, this time on some blogging website.

"Yeah." Hiccup sighed.

"You don't have to talk about it. We all know Jack doesn't like to talk about his daddy issues." Jack, either somehow hearing them through the noise or didn't have his music turned up as loud as they thought, lifted his head.

"I **don't** have daddy issues. M.I.M. just, wasn't there is all and North took me in years later."

"Jack, you're in denial." Rapunzel commented, not pausing at all in what she was doing.

"I'm fine with that." Merida shook her head, giving up and relaxing herself against the couch.

"So...what're we going to do for the next two hours until dinner?"

"I have some work to catch up on, not much though." Hiccup shrugged, not looking to be in the mood to do much of anything.

"You also lost the bet. Jack won." Rapunzel added in. "So you're on laundry duty for the rest of the week."

"Rapunzel?" Jack asked.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"Fan-freaking-tastic." Hiccup frowned. Rapunzel getting this close to actually cursing meant that no, she was not okay. Not at all. He was all for taking another nap but then he wouldn't get any sleep. If he suggested the woods to check up on Toothless, then they could lose track of time and miss dinner. Then again he had an entire river at his disposal as well as a huge forest. His artificial tail fin that Hiccup had recently made could operate without Hiccup needing to be there in case he couldn't see his friend for a few days. The dragon would be just fine, for now.

Rapunzel had let Pascal -her pet Chameleon- and Baby Tooth -the little hummingbird faerie that Jack was friend's with- run and fly about now. They rarely could, for fear of them being found out. Chameleons weren't allowed on campus, and both dragons and faeries weren't exactly supposed to exist. At least in the eyes of the staff and other kids. Gobber didn't count.

With the lull of the television -Jack had turned it on to watch some cartoon, Adventure Time if he heard correctly- and his own exhaustion, the oldest of the four drifted into the most insane dream he'd ever had in his life.

 _Where was he? He could see himself in a caged arena, dozens of people surrounding the outside like they were watching a game. If that game included a huge red dragon, a viking helmet, a shield and dagger. He somehow knew that the dragon could light itself on fire. Breathing fire, flaming skin, sharp talons and teeth, all of which could hurt him. Kill him even. He could see his father up there with everyone, and Gobber. Snotlout, his cousin, and Spitelout, his uncle, were also up there, watching him. What for? Why were they all dressed like vikings? He looked down at himself. Why was he dressed like a viking? Why did he know he was dressed like a viking and not something else? Was he supposed to kill the dragon? He didn't want to! He shouldn't have to! He was friends with Toothless, who was a dragon, even if they didn't know about him he shouldn't have to kill anything! Anyone! Any dragon!_

 _The scene shimmered, blurred, and switched to something else. He was frantic, panicking, talking to his dad. Trying to_ persuade _him to_ not _do what he was about to do. To_ listen _to him for once. But his father brushed him off, sending him to the floor. They were still dressed like vikings, but it didn't register as much in his mind._

" _You're not my son." The emotional pain stabbed him. Dug into him like needles. No, he thought to himself desperately. This isn't real. It's just a nightmare. Just a stupid nightmare. Change it. You've done it before. But try as he did, pushing at the scene to change to something better, it wouldn't budge. It was out of his control and he just had to go along with it. He hated it. As his father exited, closing the door behind him, he left Hiccup there in silence. And darkness._

" _HICCUP!"_

The not-a-viking jolted out of his sleep, groaning as he opened his eyes to light. Light and a face that looked relieved.

"Finally." Merida smiled. "I thought I'd have to get the ice water we know Jack hides in that mini-fridge in your room." Hiccup shivered at the thought of it. That water was cold, and usually only for pranks, but made a good wake up call too. Hiccup knew from experience.

And yet he still wasn't fully awake.

"Did anyone get the name of the axe that hit me?" He asked, words twisting into each other by sleep.

"Come on Hic." Merida pulled him into a sitting position. "Rapunzel made dinner today." She sang, which she knew would wake up the still-not-a-viking faster than Jack's ice water ever could. It worked, as Hiccup forcefully shook the sleepiness from his eyes and was up on his feet in seconds. Everyone in their little group knew how good Rapunzel's cooking and baking was.

"What did she make this time?" Merida grinned.

"You'll just have to see when you get there. Com'on. Get your skinny hide in gear." Hiccup laughed as he moved to walk through the Common Room and toward the kitchen.

They'd talked, joked around. Chicken with yellow rice and alfredo sauce was consumed. Hiccup almost forgot about the strangely real dream he'd had. He didn't tell his friend-siblings about it. They'd worry more than they already did. He didn't want that. He was the older brother after all. Hiccup put the dream out of his mind for now. He didn't know why it bothered him, or why he kept thinking he was a viking or something now. But it was better to not dwell on it any longer. He'd see Toothless tomorrow with the others, and Jack had History with Merida, taught by the new teacher at the school. The thought didn't sit well with him, making his stomach churn, but he couldn't do anything about it. Not yet anyway. Next Monday he'd be seeing his father again, as much as he didn't want to, and then his father wouldn't be able to ignore him.


End file.
